


How wide is the ocean

by AnimeDad



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Character Turned Into Vampire, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-24 02:44:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20351080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimeDad/pseuds/AnimeDad
Summary: Mari's life is changed forever when she's attacked and turned into a vampire. Kanan does her best to help her adjust to her new lifestyle, but people and places change as the years go by.





	1. Chapter 1

Mari turned away from her laptop and stretched. She had spent the whole evening working on a report for her father and the other committee members explaining the current situation of the school. It was standard procedure but she always did her best on these. After all, this would decide the fate of the school in the long run. She locked up her office and walked down the hall, all the lights off save for the green emergency exit signs. On her way out she passed by the student council office whose lights were dark too. 

“If Dia has already left, then I must really be here late” she muttered to herself. 

Usually the two of them walked home together on days without practice, since they both had mountains of extra work to do. It was a pleasant autumn evening, so Mari didn’t mind the walk on her own. It would help her clear her head she thought. She walked along the seaside road enjoying the sound of waves crashing against the docks. She looked out at the ocean. Being able to see the lights of buildings on the coast opposite the school made the sea looked smaller than it actually was. This place was small, safe, and warm. She loved this city.

As she walked down the road, she passed by an old abandoned shack. For as long as she knew it had never been in use, but there was never any reason to tear it down. Usually it was quiet, but this time she heard something scrounging around in there.  _ Must be a cat.  _ She thought to reassure herself. She kept walking, and stopped when she heard the sound of a door creak. It was more than a creak. It was the sound of years of rust gnashing together as the hinges turned for the first time in decades. From the corner of her eye she saw a shadowy figure emerge from the shack. She picked up the pace. She was too scared to look behind her, but she could hear deep, ragged breathing. Whatever had been in that shack was following her. She went from a fast walk, to a jog, to a run. She just needed to get to the main road. She could probably find a cab. Maybe someone in one of the houses would even let her hide inside. The sound of the breathing got louder and more aggressive. She threw her bag behind her, hoping it would slow down her assailant. Getting to the intersection with the main road, she looked around her. Not a soul in sight. “Someone… anyone...” she said hoarsely. She was too out of breath to yell. Stopping there cost her though. If she had just kept running, things might have gone very differently She felt two sharp pin pricks in the side of her neck. She stopped breathing from the shock. The ghastly figure had a firm grip on her head and shoulder.Its hand were otherworldly cold. She could feel her life being drained away. Its thirst sated, the spectre let go of her and ran towards the mountains. Mari fell to her knees and touched her neck. She pulled her fingers away and they were dark and wet with blood. Unable to comprehend what just happened to her, Mari fell over unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

A month passed. Kanan emerged from the water outside the dive shop and dried her hair with a towel she had waiting there. Despite it being well into October, she had to go for an evening swim if she wanted to get a good night's rest. Especially recently. She looked in the direction of the Ohara Hotel. A few lights were on, but not the one light she needed to see. It had been a month since Mari disappeared. She had sent a message to everyone saying that she would be away for a bit on chairman business, and to keep practicing without her. This in and of itself wasn’t unusual. She sometimes had to fly to see her father and argue on behalf of the school. But she was never gone for long. A few days, a week tops. She was still responding to messages, but was always cryptic or overly jocular when asked when she would be back. Everyone was worried, but nobody knew what to do. Dia tried to keep things running as usual, but even she was running out of patience. Kanan stood under one of the showers, washing the salt out of her hair. She had a feeling Mari wasn’t far. She could feel it in her bones. Drying herself off, she took one more look at the hotel as she was about to step inside. She squinted her eyes. From Mari’s room she could see a dim yellow light. Just a single lamp bleeding through a crack in the curtains. She knew she had no time to waste. She threw on a windbreaker and dashed towards the light.

As children, Kanan and her friends had found all sorts of ways into and out of the Ohara Hotel so they could sneak in to play with Mari. As a teenager, though it was significantly easier. Kanan grabbed onto the railings of the balconies and pulled herself up floor by floor. She got to the top floor where Mari’s room was and saw that the sliding door was wide open, the thick blackout curtains behind it fluttering in the autumn wind. Kanan peeked between the curtains. There she was. Mari was sitting at her desk reading something on her laptop, her desk lamp the only other source of light in the room. She looked normal to Kanan. Same clothes and demeanor as usual. She pulled the curtain aside and stepped inside. Mari finally took notice of her and jumped back. 

“Kanan! Did you climb up here?!” she shouted. 

Kanan was taken aback by Mari’s surprised welcome, but then remembered that the balcony was not a normal entranceway. 

“Mari, where have you been? We’ve all been worried sick about you.” 

“You shouldn’t be here. You have to leave. I’m calling security.” Mari reached for the phone, but Kanan caught her by the wrist. 

“I’m not leaving until you answer my questions...” Kanan said forcefully, but her voice trailed off as she loosened her grip. Mari was icy cold. Inhumanely cold. Mari turned away in shame. Kanan reached out and grabbed her friend by the shoulder. She hadn’t imagined it. Even through her clothes, she could feel no warmth from Mari’s body. 

“Mari… what happened to you?”

Mari knew there was no point in hiding it anymore. She had told herself that she was going to tell her friends at some point but wanted to put if off for as long as she could. She extended her neck and pointed it towards the lamplight. Kanan reached out and touched her neck. There were two small indentations. At the same time, Kanan noticed there was no pulse, or rather it was there, but very slow, maybe just a beat every few seconds. Kanan pulled her hand away. 

"Mari…" she said pulling her hand away. 

"I was attacked the other night. By a vampire of all things. Sounds unbelievable, doesn't it?" 

Kanan thought for a moment. Mari was a fan of elaborate pranks but she always did them in good fun. There was nothing in her voice suggesting she was just joking. 

"So they really exist?" 

"Apparently so. Although there are so very few left that modern doctors barely have any idea how they function, much less if there’s a cure." 

"So that's why you haven't been coming to school." 

Mari nods. 

"I won't turn into ash like in the movies, but if I stay out in the sun too long, I won't be long for this world. And I won't get  _ shiny  _ like that one movie. That's just someone's fantasy." Mari joked weakly, trying to lighten the mood, but neither of them laughed. 

"So what do you plan to do? Are you going to look for a cure?" Kanan asks. "We all miss you Mari." 

Mari sits down on a sofa. 

"Papa hired the best doctors from around the world, but I turned them away. I saw the look on their faces. I knew I would spend the rest of my life as a lab rat if I agreed. My freedom is more important so I'd rather live my life out like this the best I can." 

Mari looked down sadly. Kanan sat next to her friend and put her hand over hers, ignoring the cold sensation. The warmth of her hands tickled a new sensation inside of Mari. A primal, animalistic urge. She put her hand on Kanan's shoulder and leaned her head on the other one. To an outsider this might have just looked like a moment between friends. But Mari's head turned towards her friends neck. She opened wide and brought her head closer, ready to take a bite. She was brought back to her senses by a clatter on the hardwood below. They both looked down. Kanan reached down and picked up a small white stone shimmering in the lamplight. She inspected it. It was a tooth. She turned towards Mari who felt around the inside of her mouth. Where her left canine should have been there was now a gap. It wasn't completely empty though. She touched around her gums and felt a prick. A new tooth was coming in. A much sharper one. It was a fang. She looked down at her fingertip. Blood was welling up where she had cut herself. She sucked it up. 

"So that part is true." Kanan broke the silence. 

Mari looked at her curiously, finger still her mouth. 

"The blood drinking part." Kanan continued awkwardly. 

"Oh yeah." Mari continued. "I can't keep regular food down anymore. My body rejects it. Up until recently I've been living off of animal blood. I haven’t been attacking animals or anything, we've been getting it from the meat supplier for the hotel!" She added quickly. "But I was very weak and could barely move. That is, until our family doctor gave me a bag of human blood and I became fit as a fiddle." She flexed her arms. The bleeding from her finger had long stopped. 

"Was it that bad?" Kanan asked seriously. 

_ You always could read my mind. _ Mari thought. "Yeah. My body needed it, but it tasted disgusting. I never want to do that again." 

Kanan looked at Mari. She could tell from her posture and labored breathing that her friend still hadn't completely recovered. She had the same pained look as when she had sprained her ankle in their early days as school idols. Kanan knew she needed more blood. Human blood. 

She stood up and went to Mark's desk, and pulled a letter opener out of its stand. She put it on the tip of her middle finger and before her friend could protest, sliced open her fingertip, a dark red line of blood emerging from the wound. Mari stood up to scold her friend, but a sweet aroma caught her nose. Her newfound instincts craved it. She covered her mouth, trying to control herself. 

"It's okay." Said Kanan, squeezing the blood out from her finger. A drop rolled off and fell to the floor. Mari practically dove for it, but held back at the last moment. 

"It's okay." Kanan repeated, a second fat drop welling up. Mari gave in, opening her mouth and extending her tongue. The drop of blood rolled off and hit her tongue. She felt electricity course through her whole body. How was this so different? How was this so much more satisfying than what the doctor had given her. She put her mouth around Kanan's finger and drank from it greedily. She stopped herself when she realized she might infect her friend too. She looked up and Kanan was unchanged. Still smiling like she always did. She continued to drink. She wasn't sure if it was because it was fresh or because it was from her friend, but there was a sweetness and warmth to it. 

Having had her fill Mari let out a satisfied sigh. Kanan grabbed a tissue and pressed it against her wound. Mari realized what she just did and looked away guiltily. That didn't matter to Kanan. She hugged her friend from behind. 

"I missed you." Kanan said. 

Mari felt tears welling up. 

"I missed you too." she said. "Thank god." She thought. Her body might not be the same as before but at least she could still cry.


	3. Chapter 3

Mari sat in the chair of the chairman’s office, fidgeting nervously. The curtains were open and the moonlight shone through ominously. She looked down at her desk and noticed a thin layer of dust that had built up on the surface in her absence. Kanan placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She didn’t need to say anything. Meanwhile, Dia was pacing back and forth in the room anxiously, adjusting the six chairs they had set up in front of Mari’s desk. Dia had found out about Mari’s secret almost immediately after Kanan did. Kanan was never particularly good at keeping secrets, especially from one of her oldest friends. Dia was incredulous at first, but after hearing it directly from Mari, knew her friend wasn’t pulling her leg. Despite all this, Mari was still hesitant about letting others know. Few ioutside of her father’s closest advisors knew about her current state. Yet, she knew it was time for her other close friends to learn about it. Someone knocked at the door. Dia squeaked and opened it. Seeing Dia this visibly nervous was reassuring. 

_ At least I’m not the most antsy person in the room. _ Mari thought. 

Chika was the first to peek through the door. “Mari-chan!” she yelled. The door swung open and the other six members of Aqours pushed their way in. They all ran up to her desk and started bombarding her with questions in unison. They were interrupted by the sound of someone slowly clapping their hands by the entrance to the room. 

“Quiet down and have a seat!” Dia yelled as she shut the door to the office. Somehow the chaos helped her regain her composure. Dia walked behind Mari’s desk and stood opposite Kanan, the two of them flanking Mari like a pair of bodyguards. Mari took a deep breath and explained everything that had happened to her since that fateful night.

“And that’s my situation now.” she concluded. The six underclassmen sit there stunned. Nobody knew what to say. Yoshiko was the first to break the silence. 

“So… can you turn into a bat?” 

“Excuse me?” Mari responded. She had prepared answers to a lot of questions, but not this. 

“A bat. I saw that in a movie once. Can you do that.” Hanamaru lightly slapped her in the back of the head. 

“Now is not the time for that.” 

Mari giggled. Unintentionally, Yoshiko’s nonsense helped lighten the mood. 

“No. The only thing that really changed are these.” She pulled her lip away to expose her fangs, which had both fully grown in. Ruby squeaked at the sight of them, but covered her mouth. 

“I’m sorry. That was really rude of me.” she mumbled. 

“So you really aren’t messing with us.” Riko said seriously. 

“You have to drink human blood right?” Chika asked, her chin resting on her fingers. Mari nodded. 

“I don’t really like the taste of it, but I know my body needs it.” That wasn’t entirely true. The flavor of Kanan’s blood had stayed in her head since that one night, but she couldn’t admit it in front of her friends. Chika furrowed her brow, deep in thought. 

“Maybe you just need good blood. You don’t know where the stuff you’ve been drinking came from.” 

“Chikachi, you really don’t need to worry about it. I’ll live...” Chika cuts her off. 

“No, I couldn’t live if I couldn’t get good local mikan every morning.” A light bulb flashed in her head. “Local! We could ask the locals! Everyone in Uchiura is a good person, so they should have good blood, right?” 

“We could do a blood drive.” chimed in You. “Papa and his crew donate to the local hospital all the time. I’m sure if we organized something, they’d gladly give some.” 

Mari wanted to stop them, but the situation had clearly spiraled out of her control. Before she knew it, her friends had started planning all the logistics. Kanan put her hand on Mari’s shoulder again. She looked down at her and smiled. This was better than she could have hoped for, although she hated herself for thinking that they would welcome her back with anything less than this level of warmth.

The first blood drive was a smashing success. While they didn’t mention why Mari needed blood, people young and old from the area came to donate, more than happy to help a fellow resident. That evening, Mari held the first blood bag hesitantly. Chika might have had the best of intentions, but she saw no reason this should taste any different from what the doctor had been giving her up until now. She sighed and tore off the tip, sucking the contents out. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Not quite the same as Kanan’s blood, but it had a similar sweetness to it. It was almost as if she could taste the love the donor had for her. No, it wasn’t just a love for her. It was love for the whole city. She thoroughly sucked out the rest of the contents and licked her lips, giving a silent thanks to her gracious donor.

And so, a new normal was established for Mari. She knew that continuing as a regular student would be difficult, so she did her best to study on her own, and earned her diploma like everybody else. Of course, she insisted on seeing out her duties as a school idol to the very end, and they had a special night time graduation live just for her. Determined to still live her life to the fullest, she took over management of the Ohara Hotel, and would spend the evenings entertaining guests from all over who would come for a night of luxury. Ladies from the city would always beg her for the skincare products she used, as she seemed to never age a day out of her teens. She played coy, knowing that they wouldn’t believe her even if she told them. And so, time passed. She found her new routine, and thanks to the generosity of the people around her, was never lacking for a good meal. But time was not as kind to the area as it was to her. The elderly passed on, and the younger generation found new opportunities outside of their little fishing village. Every day the city got a little quieter.


	4. Chapter 4

Mari sat on the balcony of her room at sunset, gazing out at the sea. It still looked so small from up here. She learned her body could tolerate some sunlight as long as she covered up properly. Even after all these years, she still missed the sun. It would soon be dinnertime, and an up and coming politician would be dining at the hotel that night. Mari remembered when he visited with his parents as a child. She hoped that he didn’t remember her too clearly. It would be hard to explain why she looked almost the same while he was now all grown up. She checked her watch. Any minute now. There was a knock at the door. Kanan walked in, her skin tan and rough from the years spent working the dive shop. She sat down on the chair opposite Mari and sighed. Compared to Mari who was covered up from head to toe in fine cashmere, Kanan looked practically slovenly in sweatpants and a windbreaker. 

“Good day at work today?” Mari asked. 

“It was okay. That politician kid couldn’t swim nearly as well as he thought, so I had to save him from drowning a couple times. I swear, I wish I could have thrown a swim ring on him and called it a day.” 

“There, there, you know he’s an important client. He might help get that stimulus package for the region funded.” 

“I know, I know.” 

They looked towards the shore. It was already evening, but there were barely any lights, a majority of the houses sat dark and abandoned. Kanan decided to change the subject. 

“You saw the message from Riko right?” 

Mari’s eyes sparkled. 

“I did! I can’t believe she’s already on her second kid! I can’t wait for them to come visit. The first was such a cutie.” 

Even though everyone had scattered to the four winds, they made sure to keep in touch. Of the nine, only Kanan and Mari remained in Uchiura. 

“You don’t want kids of your own?” Mari asked Kanan. 

“Nah, I’m good. I’m not sure I would be a good mother anyways.” 

Mari rubbed her stomach sadly. Even if she wanted kids, she knew she couldn’t have any of her own anymore. She had long come to terms with that. 

“You don’t have to stay here Kanan. I’ll be okay on my own.” 

“I want to be here. I get to go diving every day, what more could I want?” 

“It’s a big ocean out there. There’s so much more out there for you to see.” 

Kanan paused, trying to gather up the courage to ask a difficult question. 

“Do you want me to leave?” 

“I want you to live your life. I might not have much of a choice, but you can go anywhere you like. Don’t let me hold you back.” 

“I never thought you were holding me back.” 

“Kanan, if you keep this up, one day you’ll end up old and alone. And then...” Mari’s lip quivered. “And then, one day you’ll leave me too, and I’ll have to carry that guilt with me forever.” 

Tears began to stream down her face. To some, an ageless body would be a blessing. But for Mari, it was a curse. The reality of the situation struck Kanan. She went up to Mari and took her in her arms. Mari cried into her chest, while Kanan stared up at the sky. The moon was a sharp scythe shaped crescent. She unzipped the top of her windbreaker, the cool evening breeze tickling her neck and shoulders. The sound of the zipper caught Mari’s attention, and she looked up at her friend. Kanan continued to look up at the moon. She pulled the top of her windbreaker away, exposing more skin to Mari. 

“No...” Mari whispered. “I can’t.” 

“It’s okay.” Kanan mumbled, echoing the words she said all those years past. Kanan placed her hand on the back of Mari’s head, pushing her face to her shoulder. 

“I can’t let anyone else become a monster like me.” Mari said hoarsely, trying to hold back her predator instincts that she had successfully suppressed until now. 

“And I don’t want you to be alone ever again.” Kanan responded. 

Mari opened her mouth, her fangs glimmering in the moonlight. Kanan guided her towards her neck. Mari continued to cry, although she wasn’t sure why anymore. 

“It’s okay.” Kanan said one last time as Mari’s fangs approached her neck.


	5. Chapter 5

“And so the vampire prepared to bite her best friend, ensuring that the two would be together forever.” 

“And then…?!” 

“And then… What do you think happened?” 

“Ehh… Just tell me already.” 

“No, no, no. You need to think about that for yourself. If you were the vampire, would you bite or would you walk away?” 

“I don’t know. Adults are confusing.” 

“They sure are. Now get to bed little one. You have a long day tomorrow.” 

Mari tucks the little girl into bed who hugs her stuffed koala. Mari kisses her on the forehead and shuts off the light. She closes the door and walks out. The girl’s mother is sitting in the living room absentmindedly reading the news on her phone. She stands up to greet Mari. 

“Thank you for putting her to bed. She always loves your stories.” 

“My pleasure. I couldn’t ask for a better audience.” 

“I used to hear that story all the time from my grandmother, but I didn’t think you were real until you showed up on our doorstep that one night.” 

Mari laughs. 

“Truth can be stranger than fiction.” 

“So everything you said there is true?” 

“Every last word.” 

“Do you ever regret not… y’know…” 

“When you’ve lived as long as I have, you learn to leave your regrets behind. Having too much baggage will only weigh you down.” 

The woman smiles. 

“I’ll have you know she died with a smile on her face.” 

Mari looks up wistfully. Despite what she just said, not being there for that moment was indeed one of the small regrets she kept in her heart. 

“Do you really need to go?” The woman asks her. “I cleaned out the storage room just for you. It’s a little small, but there are no windows. You’ll be safe there.” 

“Thank you, but no thank you. I should be on my way.” She grabs a large backpack that was propped up against the wall. “After all, I need some new stories to tell her next time.”

Mari waves to the woman as she walks away. She takes a deep breath of the salty ocean air. The air down in Australia had a completely different smell from Japan. She checks her watch to verify how many hours until sunrise, and continues along the seaside road, enjoying the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. She looks out, and sees the lights from a boat blinking in the distance. The only other light is the moon, bright and full in the sky above. 

“It sure is a big ocean out there Kanan.” she says to nobody in particular. She adjusts the straps on her bag and continues forth, ready to continue seeing how big the world really is.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this story swimming in my head for a while now, but it took me a while to make something concrete out of it. I debated for a while whether I wanted Mari to bite Kanan in the end or not, but the idea of Mari as the cool aunt who travels the world collecting stories for all her friends children, and grandchildren, and so on felt so right that I had to go with that. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your friends is let them be free. Thanks for reading!


End file.
